ALZHEIMER’S GENE NEUTRALISED IN HUMAN BRAIN CELLS FOR THE FIRST TIME
The study could open the door to a potential new drug capable of halting the disease, however the researchers have urged caution because so far their compound has only been tried on collections of cells in a laboratory. Source: co.uk
BATHROOM HAND-DRYERS SUCK IN POO-PARTICLES AND AEROSOLIZE THEM ALL OVER YOU AND EVERYTHING ELSE
A new study in Applied and Environmental Microbiology (Sci-Hub mirror) conducted microbial surveys of the bathrooms at the University of Connecticut (where the study’s lead authors are based) to investigate whether hand-dryers were sucking in potentially infectious microbes and then spraying them all over everything, as had been observed in earlier studies. Source: boingboing.net
CAN A WANDERING MIND MAKE YOU NEUROTIC?
On the positive side, mind-wandering promotes planning for the future, allowing my daughter to lay the groundwork for financial security and a career with a long endgame. And it may be an essential ingredient in creativity. Several studies have shown that creativity blossoms under the same conditions that encourage mind-wandering—for example, an incubation period in which the mind is only lightly focused on an easy task is especially conducive to flashes of insight and imaginative solutions to problems.
Read moreCRISPR’D FOOD, COMING SOON TO A SUPERMARKET NEAR YOU
For years now, the US Department of Agriculture has been flirting with the latest and greatest DNA manipulation technologies. Since 2016, it has given free passes to at least a dozen gene-edited crops, ruling that they fall outside its regulatory purview. But on Wednesday, March 28, the agency made its relationship status official; effective immediately, certain gene-edited plants can be designed, cultivated, and sold free from regulation.
Read moreTHE DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN–AND MASSIVE RADIATION INCREASE–BEHIND THE 5G ROLLOUT
The Internet of Things will require augmenting today’s 4G technology with 5G, thus “massively increasing” the general population’s exposure to radiation, according to a petition signed by 236 scientists worldwide who have published more than 2,000 peer-reviewed studies and represent “a significant portion of the credentialed scientists in the radiation research field,” according to Joel Moskowitz, the director of the Center for Family and Community Health at the University of California, Berkeley, who helped circulate the petition. Nevertheless, like cell phones, 5G technology is on the verge of being introduced without pre-market safety testing.
Read moreCHINA’S SOCIAL CREDIT: REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS
Like private credit scores, a person’s social score can move up and down depending on their behaviour. The exact methodology is a secret — but examples infractions include bad driving, smoking in non-smoking zones, buying too many video games and posting fake news online. Source: businessinsider.com
DO STEM CELLS FOR VISION LOSS OFFER REAL HOPE?
A new paperin this area generated some buzz on top of an earlier recent pub (mentioned in this post) just a week or so ago about the potential of stem cells for vision loss. Source: ipscell.com
AIRBUS AND BOEING ARE EXPLORING THE VIABILITY OF ELECTRIC PLANES
Will we someday be able to fly without the guilt of causing environmental damage? A handful of firms and regulators hope that the electric revolution in cars will also take to the skies, helping the industry cope with an expected boom in travel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Source: phys.org
CHINA’S EXPERIMENT IN RANKING AND MONITORING CITIZENS HAS STARTED
Depending on their score bracket, residents hold a grade ranging from A+++ to D. Some offenses can hurt the score pretty badly. For drunk driving, for example, one’s score plummets straight to a C. On the other hand, triple As are rewarded with perks such as being able to rent public bikes without paying a deposit (and riding them for free for an hour and a half), receiving a $50 heating discount every winter, and obtaining more advantageous terms on bank loans.
Read moreALTEREGO: INTERFACING WITH DEVICES THROUGH SILENT SPEECH
AlterEgo is a closed-loop, non-invasive, wearable system that allows humans to converse in high-bandwidth natural language with machines, artificial intelligence assistants, services, and other people without any voice—without opening their mouth, and without any discernible movements—simply by vocalizing internally. Source: mit.edu